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HSTS vs USWDS

Based on 2556 and 45 real audits

View HSTS details | View USWDS details
MetricHSTSUSWDSWinner
Performance4943HSTS
Accessibility8995USWDS
Best Practices8889USWDS
SEO9191Tie
Security7066HSTS
TTFB364ms540msHSTS
Composite7574HSTS
Performance
HSTS
49
USWDS
43
Accessibility
HSTS
89
USWDS
95
Security
HSTS
70
USWDS
66
SEO
HSTS
91
USWDS
91
Composite
HSTS
75
USWDS
74

HSTS outperforms USWDS in 4 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (75 vs 74). USWDS leads in accessibility, best practices.

When to choose HSTS

Choose HSTS when your primary concern is server response time and performance. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

When to choose USWDS

Choose USWDS when your primary concern is accessibility and best practices. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 2556 audited HSTS sites and 45 audited USWDS sites in the BeaverCheck database. Every audit runs the same 100+ checks — Lighthouse performance, security headers, accessibility, SEO, server response time — against a real URL. No vendor input, no sponsorship, no affiliate links. Read the full methodology →

FAQ

Which is faster, HSTS or USWDS?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, HSTS sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (49 vs 43 on average).
Which has better security, HSTS or USWDS?
HSTS sites score higher on security analysis (70 vs 66 on average).
Which has better accessibility, HSTS or USWDS?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor USWDS (95 vs 89). Both technologies can be made fully accessible with care — the difference reflects common patterns in the sampled sites, not inherent platform limits.
Which is better for SEO, HSTS or USWDS?
HSTS sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (91 vs 91 on average), which cover meta tags, crawlability, mobile friendliness, and structured data. Content strategy and backlinks still matter more than platform choice for ranking.
Which has faster server response (TTFB), HSTS or USWDS?
HSTS sites show lower Time to First Byte (364 ms vs 540 ms on average). TTFB depends heavily on hosting and CDN setup rather than the technology itself, but the sampled sites suggest a meaningful difference in common deployment patterns.
Should I choose HSTS or USWDS for my website?
Both platforms have trade-offs. HSTS scores higher on overall composite score while HSTS may excel in metrics you care about most. Run a free BeaverCheck audit on a real site using each to compare the metrics relevant to your use case.
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